Medicine cabinet



Patented July 23, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,721,953 PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER BI. HENDRICKSON AND CHARLES ALAN BRANTINGHAM, 0F ROCKFORD, ILLI- NOIS,-ASSIGNORS '10 EMERSON-BRANTINGHAM CORPORATION, OF ROCKFORD, ILLI- NOIS, A OORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

MEDIOINE CABINET.

This invention relates to cabinets generally, but is more particularly devoted to improvements in details of construction and arrangement in sheet metal cabinets, such as medicine cabinets, the objects being to provide a cabinet of sturdier as well as cheaper construction and neater appearance.

To enumerate, the invention provides the following novel features:

1. A door constructed with a one-piece sheet metal backing struck to provide a depressed central portion defined by a framelike marginal portion, the depressed portion serving as a mirror cavity in which the mirror is fastened by means of a molding extending about the edges of the mirror and fitting in a, space bordering the same in the cavity, the molding being fastened to the backing preferably from behind the same. This construction gives a perfectly flush front devoid of all evidences of fastenings. Furthermore, a-door constructed in this manner is much more rigid and supports the mirror in such a way as to eliminate any strains which might tend to crack the mirror. The cavity provides ample space behind the min ror for proper padding and it is found that where ordinary care is taken in shipment of cabinets constructed in this manner the loss through breakage of mirrors is reduced to a minimum.

2. Hinges fastened to the backing of the door with the fastenings therefor extending into the mirror cavity and concealed behind the mirror. This obviates the necessity for protruding hinge fastcnings and thereby considerably enhances the appearance of the cab inet. The marginal frame like portion of the door is, furthermore, constructed so as entirely to conceal the hinges.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein- Figure 1 is a front view of a cabinet constructed in accordance with our invention;

Fig. 2 is a left side view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on an enlarged scale; and

Fig. 4 is a detail showing the catch and door knob fastening.

The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughout the. views.

The present invention, as stated above, is particularly concerned with sheet metal medi- 'cine cabinets and it might be added that variour features are provided with a special view to cab1nets finished in porcelain enamel, it being a particularly noteworthy fact in con nection with the present cabinet that the details of construction are of special advantage for enameled cabinets in that they eliminate the usual tendencies for cracking or peeling of the enamel which commonly occurred by reason of faulty design or construction. The cabinet casing is designated by the reference numeral 5 and fits in the usual wall opening, indicated at 6, with the front wall or frame portion thereof 7 bordering the wall opening to make a workmanlike job of the cabinet installation. The casing is suitably pressed from a single piece of sheet metal to the cross-section indicated in Fig. 3 and provides a jamb 8 for the door, indicated gener ally by the reference numeral 9. The lattercomprises a backing 10 formed from a single piece of sheet metal with a depressed central portion 11 to serve as a mirror cavity and defined by a marginal frame-like portion 12 struck to a substantially channel-shaped cross-section, as indicated. The depressed central portion with the channel-shaped marginal portion gives lateral and longitudinal rigidity to the door without necessitating the use of a heavy gauge metal. A mirror 13, suitably beveled as shown, is placed in the cavity 11 on padding 14. Sullicicnt space is left in the cavity 11 bordering the edges of the mirror 13 for the reception of a molding 15. The latter, it will be observed, fits over a portion of the edges of the mirror, as indicated at 16. to retain the same and is fastened to the backing by means of screws 17 entered through openings pro 'ided in the backing and threading into the back of the molding. This obviously gives a flush front appearance entirely uninterrupted by fastenings of any kind and the mirror is held in such a manner that there will be no tendency for strains to be set up in it that might cause the same to be cracked. It ordinary care is taken in shipment it is found that the present construction reduces losses by breakage of mirrors positively to a minimum. The reason for this is obyiously that the door has enough inherent rigidity; does not rely upon the mirror itself providing some of the rigidity as in the case of previous CJllStTIl-LtlOllS with which we are familiar.

The door is hinged to the cabinet by two or more hinges 18. Each of these hinges has the one leaf thereof bent to conform to the hollow of the channel of the door frame-12, as shown in Fig. 3, and extended to the back of the mirror cavity for the reception of bolts 19 which pass through openings provided in the backing 10 and receive nuts 20 within the cavity 11 behind the-mirror 13. This construction makes the hinge fastening entirely concealed and still further carries out the scheme of a flush front for the door. The padding l l is sufiicient, it will benoticed, to keep the mirror 13 out of contact with the hinge fastenings. The other leaf of each hinge is fastened as by means of bolts 21 to the inside wall of the cabinet, the leaf being extended outwardly from the cabinet to the door frame past the door jamb 8. The door frame extends past the hinge sufficiently to conceal the same completely against visibility from the front of the door and the outer edge 22 of the door frame 12 finds sufiicient clearance in the door jamb 8 by reason of the latter being formed concave and in an arc with the hinge axis 23 as a center. In the opening of the door the outer edge 22 comesinto engagement with the fixed leaf of each of the hinges 18 to limit the extent of opening. Each of the fixed leaves of the hinges are bent to provide offset portions 24 so as to enable more than a 90 opening of the door.

A door knob 25, suitably of glass, has a metallic bushing 26 thereon arranged for threading engagement with a stud 27 projecting through an opening in the door frame 12. The stud 27 preferably forms an integral part of a cast body 28 fitting within the hollow of the channel of the door frame, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4 and thereby held against turn ing. The body 28 has a big 29 extending therefrom to serve as a catch for the door. The latter is enlarged at the outer end thereof in the form of a head for reception in a leaf spring keeper 3O fastened, as by means of a bolt 31, to the side wall of the cabinet inside the latter. The construction is obviously very simple and practical as well as durable besides being much cheaper than other .door holds with which we are familiar and is much easier to assemble. Furthermore, the catch and knob fastening does not, in any way, detract fromthe appearance of the front of the cabinet.

The cabinet is also provided with the usual numbers of shelves, one of which is indicated in dotted lines at 32 in Fig. 2. The side walls of the cabinet have openings 33 for the reception of studs 34 0;. which to rest the shelves. The front edge of the shelf 32 IS su tably bent downwardly and inwardly, usindicated at 35, and arranged to embrace the front pair of studs so as to conceal the same and at the same time hold the shelf in proper relation thereto. Thus, when the door 1s opened the shelves present neat rolled edges at the front thereof which give a pleasing appearance and, furthermore, the shelf sup-. ports more or less concealed.

It is" believed the foregoing description conveys a complete understanding of our invention and of its various objects and advantages. It should be understood that while a specific embodiment has been illustrated and described the invention is capable of considerable departure from the present details and the appended claims have, therefore, been drawn with a view to covering all adaptations and modifications legitimately coming with in the spirit and scope of the invention.

\Ve claim:

1. In a door for a cabinet of the character described, a onepiece sheet metal backing struck to provide a depressed central portion defined by a marginal frame-like portion, the said depressed portion providing a mirror cavity, a mirror fitting in said cavity leaving a border space about the edges thereof, said mirror having suitable padding behind the same in said cavity, and means for fastening the mirror comprising a molding about the edges of the mirror fitting in the border space about the same in said cavity and overlying a portion of the edges of the mirror, and means for fastening said molding to the backing.

2. A structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for fastening the molding comprises screws passing through openings in the backing in the border space about the edges of the mirror and threading into the back of the molding substantially as described.

3. In a structure as set forth in claim 1, the rovision of hinges for the door each of which has one leaf thereof bolted to the backing of the door, the bolts being passed through the backing at the edge of the depressed portion so that the portions projectin in the cavity are behind the mirror receive in said cavity and are thereby concealed, the padding for the mirror in saidcavity bein sufiicient to hold the mirror out of contact with said hinge fastenings.

4. In a cabinet of the character described, a sheet metal casing providing a front frame for bordering the wall opening in which the cabinet is received, said frame being formed about the inner edges thereof to provide a door jamb, a door for closing the open front of the cabinet and having the marginal frame thereof fitting said jamb, the door frame being formed of sheet metal struck to a chan nel shaped cross-section, hinges for said door each of which has one leaf thereof fastened to the door frame and received within the hollow of the channel so as to be concealed thereby and not be visible from the front of the door, the other leaf of each of said hinges being fastened to the adjacent side wall of the cabinet inside the same and extending outwardly past the door jamb to the door menses frame, the said door in swinging open and closed having the outer edge thereof arranged to swing in the door jamb toward and away from the hated eaves of the hinges whereby the latter serve to limit the swinging movement of the door.

5. In a structure as set forth in claim 4: wherein the door hinges are fixed to the door frame substantially inwardly from the side edges of the door frame so as thoroughly to be concealed, the door jamb adjacent the hinge connection being formed concave and in an arc with the hinge axis as a center so that the door frame which substantially covers the door jamb has clearance in the jamb in swinging open and closed.

6. lln a door for a cabinet of the character described, a frame member having a central depression therein to receive a mirror, a mirror fitting in said depression leaving a border space about certain edges thereof, and means for fastening the mirror to the frame comprising a-molding bordering the marginal edges of the mirror and having portions fitting in the border space referred to, and means for fastening said molding to the frame.

amb formed about the inner edges thereof, a

door for closing the open front of the cabinet and having the marginal frame thereof fitting said jamb, the door frame being formed of sheet metal having a marginal inwardly directed flange, hinges for said door, each of which has one leaf thereof fastened to the back of the door frame behind said flange so as to be concealed thereby and not be visible from the front of the door, the other leaf of each of said hinges being fastened to the adjacent side wall of the cabinet inside the same and eX-- tending outwardly past the door jamb to the door frame, the said door in swinging open and closed having the marginal flange thereof arranged to swing in the door jamb toward and away from the fixed leaves of the hinges whereby the latter serve to limit the swinging movement of the door.

8. A structure as set forth in claim 7,

wherein the door hinges are fixed to the door frame spaced from the marginal flange so as thoroughly to be concealed, the door j amb adjacent the hinge connection being formed substantially concave and approximately in an arc with the hinge axis as a center so that the door frame which substantially covers the door jamb has sufiicient clearance in the jamb to swing 0 en and closed.

Wl LTER H. HENDRICKSON. C. ALAN BRANTINGHAM. 

